The Future of Gaming Consoles

Sales for gaming consoles and video games were less than stellar in 2016. In a market that was a feeding frenzy in years past with people camping out all night to be first in line to buy one, big names like Playstation and XBox are having a tough go. Why is this sector of the gaming industry trending downward? One word:  digital. Because you can download amazing games on  your mobile devices, the idea of only being able to play when you are in front of your console is confining. Plus, virtual reality is gaining popularity and again, you use apps on your smartphone to access this type of gaming. There also seems to be a lack of enthusiasm, and this might have to do with the market being saturated with first person shooter type games. This article from Finder.com.au provides some detailed stats on the future of gaming consoles:

128 million console gamers set to leave the market | finder.com.au

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="301"] Image via finder.com.au[/caption]

If we forecast ahead through 2017, 2018 and 2019 under the unlikely scenario that the PS4 and Xbox One hold zero change on the 16,000,000 and 7,000,000 they’re expected to sell in 2016 respectively, where do we end up? Roughly another 69,000,000 units sold by 2019. And that would bring the generation’s total up to 157 million.

That’s still 117 million short of the seventh generation of consoles. More likely, however, we will continue to see a slide year-on-year. If we were to see even a mild – by previous generations standards - 8% drop continue through 2017, 2018 and 2019, a more accurate figure for this generation’s total console install base would actually be 146 million. This would be roughly comprised of 90 million PS4s, 42 million Xbox Ones and 14 million Wii Us. This would still be around 128 million short of the seventh generation.

Read the full post here:  128 million console gamers set to leave the market | finder.com.au

Even though this was posted mid-2016, the chart shows the decline of Nintendo's console hardware and software sales other than the initial release of the Wii System:

[caption id="attachment_4114" align="alignnone" width="611"] Image via Business Insider[/caption]

Sony and Microsoft are both making upgrades to their gaming consoles in hopes that they can sell a newer version to individuals who already own a PlayStation or Xbox. They are also focusing on mobile, as that is the future of gaming and pretty much everything. Nintendo decided to try competing with the Wii market with the Switch, which will be released in March 2017.  The Wii 2, which was released in 2012, was not well received, and the Switch provides similar features so it will be interesting to see how well it sells.  One major bonus for the Nintendo Switch is that it is portable. This post from TechNewsWorld describes the Nintendo Switch:

Nintendo Banks on Switch Hit | Gaming | TechNewsWorld

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="301"] Image via technewsworld.com[/caption]

Nintendo on Thursday announced the Nintendo Switch handheld gaming console, its long-awaited successor to the poorly received Wii 2.

The US$300 Switch will hit the streets March 3. Purchasers will get the console, two Joy-Con controllers, a Joy-Con Grip, a set of Joy-Con wrist straps, a Nintendo Switch dock, an HDMI cable and an AC adapter. The Switch has a 6.2-inch capacitive multitouch screen and a kickstand. The Switch can be used as an independent handheld player. Battery life ranges from 2.5 to 6 hours.

See the original post here:  Nintendo Banks on Switch Hit | Gaming | TechNewsWorld

This review of the Switch is by a couple that were given a chance to do some hands-on testing of the system. They really enjoyed their experience and think it will be a big hit. Their descriptions of all of the games they tried were pretty entertaining.

The Future of Gaming Consoles was originally seen on www.ssprosvcs.com